Ryan White and HIV Testing Day

June 19, 2014

TARGET Center

The proportion of HIV-infected individuals who know their status has improved in recent years, demonstrating progress toward objectives set forth in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Continuum of Care Initiative, both of which include the goal of expanded testing to reduce further transmission and link infected individuals to life-saving HIV/AIDS care. Being on treatment has the added value of serving as a prevention strategy as individuals whose virus is fully suppressed are highly unlikely to transmit infection to others (see the below video on the Treatment Cascade and an earlier 2010 Ryan White video, Test and Treat).

Below are resources to support Ryan White and other agencies in expanding their HIV/AIDS counseling and testing efforts.

Care agencies, including HIV/AIDS programs, have policy flexibility and technical resources to help them expand HIV testing in order to identify infected individuals and engage them in care. The need to do so remains great.

See highlights below:

Health Care Reform and HIV Testing. In April 2013, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued recommendations that assigned an “A” rating to routine HIV testing for all adolescents and adults ages 15 through 65. The new rating means that routine HIV screening is now defined as one of the preventive services under the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) package that must be included in all new group and individual plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).